Drew Gordon’s hard luck with USA Basketball continued when he suffered a partial tear of the patellar tendon in his right knee during tryouts for the Under-19 national team.

Gordon, a sophomore and UCLA’s projected starting center, left the Colorado Springs, Colo., camp Wednesday to return to Los Angeles, where he will be re-evaluated by UCLA’s medical staff.

Surgery has not been ruled out and his status for the start of the 2009-10 season, which begins Nov. 17 against Cal State Fullerton, is in question.

“We won’t know anything until he gets back to L.A.,” said Gordon’s mother, Shelly Davis. “We just don’t know (about surgery). I’m just going to not panic without any information.”

Gordon’s injury was first reported on dailynews.com.

It comes a day after incoming freshman wing Tyler Honeycutt told the Daily News he has a fracture on the left side of his lower back and will not be able to participate in a summer league. Surgery also remains possible, although not expected, in Honeycutt’s situation.

“It is an unfortunate event, but Drew is a resilient kid and he’ll get through it,” UCLA coach Ben Howland said. “We have a good athletic training staff and we will be here to support him.”

The 6-foot-8 Gordon was flying home from Colorado and was not available for comment.

It is the second injury Gordon suffered while competing for USA Basketball. Two years ago he broke his right hand during the Youth Development Festival.

Gordon suffered the injury Tuesday night, the first practice session of the camp as tryouts began for the Under-19 team, which will compete in the World Basketball Championships, USA Basketball spokesman Craig Miller said.

“It was literally running drills, and I don’t think they were contact drills,” Miller said. “I looked over and he was getting ice on his knee.”

Gordon averaged 3.6 points and 3.4 rebounds while averaging 10.9 minutes per game as Alfred Aboya’s backup last season. Gordon is the third member of the Bruins to be injured during the offseason. Sophomore center J’mison Morgan underwent arthroscopic knee surgery and Honeycutt was injured while playing in a high school all-star game.